University Communications

Bone marrow donor registration drive: Swab your cheek, save a life

Minot State University students in “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks," a first-year experience course, are teaming up with Delete Blood Cancer to host a bone marrow donor registration drive Wednesday (March 11), from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Beaver Dam (Student Center, second floor). Delete Blood Cancer is a nonprofit organization leading the fight to eradicate blood cancer.

Hundreds of thousands of people are diagnosed with blood cancer and other life-threatening blood-related diseases each year. Many of these patients require a blood stem cell transplant, and often that requires a matching blood stem cell donor. Presently, there are not enough potential donors, and only half of those who need a donor will find a suitable match. That is why everyone’s help is desperately needed.

“This is a pretty painless way to save a life without giving your own,” said Heidi Super, biology professor. “I'd like to see more people from the community and more minority students register at this drive. There is an overall shortage of people willing to donate bone marrow, but when you break it down, numerous ethnic groups are really underrepresented on the registry. The reason you are asked to submit your ethnicity/ancestry on the registration form is that you are much more likely to find a match within your ethnic group. It's just how genetics works!”